Here’s how it works. I give you the following intro paragraph and you finish the tale, in 500 words or less (ideally). Submit your entry anytime between the hours of 12:01 a.m. on April 1st through midnight April 30th.

Varla Ventura’s Complete a Fairy Tale (from the Dark Side) Contest

Something twisted in the shadow of the trees as she made her way down the woodland path. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she knew she was being watched. In the far distance, beyond the dusky silhouettes of trees she could see the inky blackness of a pond and beyond that, the castle lights. Suddenly, she felt something grab at her ankle. Stunned, she turned and saw…

Here are the rules:

Please keep entries to 500 words or less.

You can change the pronoun to any gender you please.

Entries must be copy and pasted into the body of an email. I will not (I simply cannot) open attachments. Should your entry be chosen fear not: we will go through a basic editorial and approval process that involves attachments.

You will retain all rights to your work, however the intro as I have written remains my own. In other words, should you want to republish the work elsewhere, you would need to change the introductory paragraph after the contest is over or just indicate it was written by me. I’m going to put my faith in your ability to do the right thing here.

Submit all entries no later than midnight on the Eve o’ May (April 30) to:

fairytalesfromthedarkside [at] gmail [dot] com

(You know that means @gmail.com right?)

(Please don’t email me regular correspondence, interview requests or the like at this address as I am not able to respond.)

The Winner(s):

First Place wins a complete set of my three Magical Creatures books including Fairies, Pookas and Changelings; Among the Mermaids and Banshees, Werewolves and Vampires along with a box full of strange and wonderful things customized for you by me. The story will be published on varlaventura.net and publicized by my team.

Second place: a signed copy of Fairies, Pookas and Changelings: A Complete Guide to the Enchanted Realm. The story will be published on varlaventura.net and publicized by my team.